HOW TO TRAVEL HEALTHY & HAPPY

I am enjoying a week of work, vacation, sun and great food here in beautiful Miami Beach! I love traveling and it is so fun to return to my old stomping ground in South Florida- especially when Nantucket is quite chilly these days. Staying fit and healthy while traveling can be a challenge, even for the best of us. The hours spent lounging on the beach; the frozen, tropical drinks; and the gourmet dining can cause havoc on our healthy routines. Honestly, who wants to be in the gym when you can be doing everything I just mentioned?! Not to worry, you don’t have to let the wheels fall off your wellness wagon! Planning ahead, keeping a basic routine, and making smart food choices can make your vacation a healthy holiday.

Planning Ahead

* What to Pack List: Make this list so you not only remember your bikini and sunscreen, but your sneakers and workout clothes too. NO sneakers, means no workout. It is really easy while on vacation to make any excuse to blow off your workout. You know, the old “oh sh*t, I forgot my headphones, and I couldn’t possible get through a workout with them” excuse. If your workout gear is in your suitcase, your are much more likely to put it to use.

* Airplane Food: Although healthy food options are becoming more readily available in most airports, it can still be hard to get a clean meal. Don’t leave it up to chance and bring your own! I always pack my carry-on with 3 to 4 healthy snacks to munch on while I am flying. Here are some Bliss Body-approved airplane snacks to bring with you:

• A mix of raw, unsalted nuts and seeds
• Roasted chick peas
• A piece of low-glycemic fruit, like an apple or pear
• SeaSnax- a seaweed snack that come in a variety of flavors. Buy here…
• Bliss Body Trail Mix:
  

* Workout Lists: I always like to head off on vacation with some pre-planned workout templates. I like to include a variety of short, fun, high intensity workouts that I am the most likely to do. If you are heading to to a beach destination, plan a beach workout that includes some running, sprints, and burpees. Or a early morning beach yoga routine- nothing like watching the sunrise and preparing your body for the day. If you are heading to the mountains, plan a pre-ski stretching routine with some added upper body (pushups) and core exercises (plank and bicycle crunches).

* Food Shopping for Hotel Room: We stopped at Whole Foods (oh, how I miss my favorite store living on Nantucket) the first day we got here and loaded up on some healthy staples for our hotel room. We are fortunate enough to be staying in a suite that has a full kitchen!!! Our whole foods list included: organic eggs, olive oil, Deland millet bread (best gluten-free bread out there!!), avocados, arugula, carrots, local hummus, filtered water, raw nuts, black beans, spinach, some fruits, and of course, some red wine. Even if you don’t have a kitchen, you should still stock up on healthy snacks and foods.

Keeping a Routine

Sticking to a mini routine while on holiday, will help keep your healthy habits on track. I knew I was going to be very busy on this work/vacation between training clients, visiting friends, soaking up the sun and doing some nutrition consulting, so I set up a little schedule for myself:

7am: Head over to JugoFresh- an organic, fresh pressed juice bar and my new obsession in Miami- for the Green Montana (cucumber, romaine, pear, kale, chard, ginger, lime and sea salt). These green numbers are pricey, but you can’t really put a price on your health, can you!? And, I am not missing having to clean my juicer every morning, I can tell you that.

7:30-Noon: Training clients. I love being back in the sun and warm, humid weather. It is perfect for training my clients outside and good for some extra sweating!

12:30: Back to the hotel room for one of my favorite healthy lunches: two poached eggs on a slice of millet toast with avocado, arugula and a dash of sea salt. So yummy and nutritious.

1-3pm: Some sun and nutrition reading on the beach.

4pm: Beach run with some sprints, skips and shuffles. I don’t care if I look silly, I care that I am fit!

7pm: Dinner with friends or take out. I have to say the Miami has some the best food around- like these delicious stone crabs:). I always recommend eating food that is fresh and local where you are. The less your food has to travel or be transported the more nutrients you are getting.

10pm: Call it a day. I always have a big glass of water before bed and nourish my skin with some coconut oil. And it’s off to bed to get ready for another great day.

Healthy Vacation Eating

Yes, this part is hard. I think it is tough for two main reasons: 1) there are so many new and tempting foods and 2) when you are on vacation, you want to take a break and indulge! I totally understand because I have experienced BOTH this week. I have eaten foods I don’t normally eat and I am definitely making the most of the 15% of the Bliss Body 85/15 eating plan (For those who don’t what this is- it means eating healthy, nourishing foods 85% of the time and 15% of the time you can loosen up and indulge a little bit). I am happy and willing to let myself indulge from time to time. That being said, as you can see from my daily routine above, I have still been nourishing my body with clean and healthy food choices everyday. This is what I mean be not letting the wheels fall off your wellness wagon!!! Try to stay within the 85/15 to 80/20 range while you are on vacation (unless you are going to Italy or Greece- then disregard all ratios, haha;).

Well, with only a couple days left of my vacation, I am going to enjoy some beach time.

xo, jenni